8 Great Books for Summer Reading - [Summer Reading Log]

Let's read this summer!  Here are 8 books to get your beginner reader started!  Some of my favorites!

I would choose this one because I LOVE the characters!

Be sure to click the read more button to get your FREE Summer Reading Log for Kids!

 ... lesson today... often times, children choose books by the cover, as we do, they wonder what might happen inside...authors spend time and careful consideration choosing artwork for their books...the author is calling your attention to the story... it is an invitation to read!  Often times, titles of books and cover art present you with key questions of what you might read and learn. 

 Take your little reader to the library this summer.   Children begin to learn that reading is a rewarding activity. Allow your child to take out 2-3 books and you do the same.  Books can open doorways to discovery. You can make story connections to personal life, family and activities;

Over 179 Teaching Resources for Literacy and Math and [Science and Social Studies]

MrsQuimbyReads TPT Store

  Here are just a few teaching resources that you will find  at my TPT store... and many more...browse now and come back often as I create new teaching resources all the time. 

Cloze activity using  sight words... 
great way to practice sight words and  fluency
at the same time... printables... no prep for you!

All About Birds
for the Primary Learner
Read and Write and 
Math Activities

You can start your book circles easily when you have these PAGES

Informational Text Book Circles engage your students in learning new information and also learning to engage in discussion groups. These pages will help you facilitate your students in conversation and deeper meaning. Readers talk about what they have learned and are able to confirm ideas and thoughts about the new information. 






Find these and many other teaching resources  at MrsQuimbyReads TPT store 

... teaching literacy with Children's Literature, Authentic Writing Prompts, Word Work, Science Pages, Primary Learners, Social Studies, Classroom Management ... over 100 teaching resources to help you take back your weekends.

5 Practices to Improve Listening Skills in the Classroom

Teaching your students to listen can be challenging at best.  School is a very social place and children want to be with their friends in a very interactive way which in turn leads to conversations and sometimes just chit chat; even when you are teaching.  Here are some tips to minimize distractions and improve listening.

Listening is one of the big 5 in literacy!  The other four being reading, writing, thinking and speaking.  You can incorporate many activities that involve listening in an enjoyable way. Many educational games require listening and most times, most kids will want to do well in a game with their peers.  The famous "I Have, Who Has?"  can be used in many grade levels while reinforcing many skills in literacy, math, science and social studies.  

I Have, Whoooo Has? Improve Listening

Listening to large numbers and recording them is a great listening activity for those students who are learning about place value.  When students start to understand and make large numbers; they need practice.  Students listen to the number you say and

Poetry for Kids, for April, for Every Month!

You deserve a Poetry Break Today!

Poetry is a fantastic way to practice fluency and reading aloud to an audience.  April is the month we say is National Poetry Month; however a classroom bin of books clearly marked Poetry is delightful to have all year long.  

My class has a list of favorite poets and they love when I whisper walk over to the poetry bin. Smiling faces see me flip around the pages for the perfect poem for today.  This one is a favorite and it's perfect for Spring.

Quack, Quack!
We have two ducks.  One blue.  One black.
And when our blue duck goes "Quack-Quack"
our black duck quickly quack-quacks back.
The quacks Blue quacks make her quite a quacker
but Black is a quicker quacker-backer. 

And yes, you guessed right!  It's by our famous Dr. Seuss.  The kids try to remember this one to recite aloud and we have done many activities with just this one poem. Choral read, boys read, one line, girls the next line or alternate with rows.   Students learn to read for meaning and reading poetry is a great way to improve reading fluency.

10 Reasons Why You Should Read Charlotte's Web to Your Class

10 Reasons Why?  Charlotte's Web Is a Good Book Choice for Read Aloud At School and At Home

 Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, is  a universal story.  It has entertained hundreds of readers and children for decades. The book  teaches kindness and love.  Charlotte's Web is and has been a 

best-selling children's paperback of all time.  E.B. White describes his book as a story of friendship and life on a farm.  E. B. White himself was a true friend to animals and writes from his own experiences. 

As every writer knows, research, research and more research is very important to even fiction writers. You must get the right moon in the night sky.   White researched every detail for his three books for children.  Stuart Little was written in 1945, Charlotte's Web in 1952 and The Trumpet of the Swan was written in 1970.  For Charlotte's Web, his research was close to home as in lived on a farm in Maine.  His experience and farm color shows on every page.  The habits of the animals are characteristic and believable.

5 Tips When Reading Aloud to Preschoolers

Five Tips for You When Reading Aloud to Preschoolers   1.  First and Foremost, find a book you love!  If you love the book, the child will hear that love in your voice.  I happen to love Gossie, Gertie and Ollie!  by Olivier Dunrea.  These are great books  for Spring! for young readers! for young listeners!  Above is the cover of Ollie by Olivier Dunrea.  Choosing this book and just viewing the cover starts the reading experience..... so many questions just start to happen... Who is Ollie?  Who are those ducks?  What are they looking at? What is hiding in the grass?  What do you think will happen? and below is the cover of, Gossie and Gertie

now don't you just want to open this book!

 2.  Sit side-by-side with your listener.  Open the book and show how the book opens.  Point to the title as you read it.  Don't overdo... remember the book experience should be enjoyable.  Your child will value this book experience if it is a time where you break from all those plug-ins and other rippity-rap the day is filled with.... and reading should be relaxing, meaningful and fun!.  Sit side-by-side with your listener.  Open the book and show how the book opens.  Point to the title as you read it.  Don't overdo... remember the book experience should be enjoyable.  Your child will value this book experience if

Read about St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day

wearing green, coloring rainbows and searching for a pot of gold

Be sure to read your favorite St. Patrick's Day story today!

Here is one from my favorite author, Gail Gibbons.  Her books are wonderful in every way. She knows her audience and teaches them so many things about our world.  Thank you, Gail, for your informative and interesting books!

Illustrations are well done and Gibbons teaches the history and traditions of the clover. 

This book by Gail Gibbons is colorful and informative
This reader response  page teaches main idea and details.  

Main Idea : St. Patrick's Day, details....what details do you remember from your reading?  In an easy 4-square format!

Grab this FREE reader response page HERE to use with

Reading Aloud Frog and Toad for PreK-1

Listen to Frog and Toad, "The Kite”  

by Arnold Lobel. 

Read by MrsQuimbyReads   

This story is quite entertaining when the famous friends, Frog and Toad, decide it is a beautiful day to fly a kite....and as all the Frog and Toad stories, this story, too, teaches a life lesson.  Listen and watch as I read the story aloud and try to think about what the author's message might be.  

Here are some questions you might ask your child as a springboard to a discussion about this story.

•Should Toad have listened to the robins? Why or why not?

•Why do you think Frog keeps telling

5 Reasons Why You Need to include Word Study Everyday in Teaching Reading

Words, words and more words!

Word Sorts are easy for you and motivating for your students!  You will find that your students will collect words, like they collect trading cards.  Who doesn't love a collection?
Daily word work is important to those learning to read. 

5 Reasons why you should include word sorts, word study and learning new vocabulary in Teaching Young Children to Read     

1.  It enables your reader to say what he or she means.  When young children hear and learn new words they acquire the ability to describe a story, depict an event and explaining the emotion.  Their ideas and opinions are more readily and easily shared with family, friends, teachers and adults.  The ability to communicate more exact meanings increases as they acquire a rich vocabulary. 

2.  Understanding others is easier when the child has a storehouse of words.  As readers, we are always expanding our vocabulary.  As writers, we learn new words to convey our thoughts and stories.  Unfamiliar words can be readily learned within the context of known words.  Reading comprehension is the key to understanding texts and authors. Learning new words is the foundation of comprehension.

3.  Acquiring a rich and vast vocabulary allows the reader to think logically and  beyond the text.  Reading, understanding and words spiral with the reader.  As the reader grows, he/she is able to interpret ideas from

Learn Multiplication and Geography - Educational, Fun and Motivating!

This multiplication activity is both educational and fun.  Students spin to solve a multiplication fact, then find that product (answer) on the USA map.  Students work with a partner and take turns spinning, solving the multiplication fact and then finding the state.  To color in the state, students must answer the multiplication fact and name the state correctly.  A challenge game, should they choose, is to also know the state's capital.  First one to finish coloring the USA map is the winner!

You can grab your Multiplication Fact - USA activity HERE

Student Spins to Solve a Multiplication Fact

Spin to Solve a Multiplication Fact

First one to have colored the entire USA map wins!

Math Facts Practice for Valentine's Day Grades 1-3 and Homeschoolers

Fun Practice for Math Facts - Download, print and place at Your Valentine's Day Table
Find it HERE

100th Day of School

  You can get your 100th Day of School Shirt HERE

use code wintertreats to get 15% off

or if you'd like one for a student

get that one HERE

You can also get 100 Tally Mark Stickers for your entire class!

Easy, affordable and fun! 

get your stickers 
HERE

Learn About Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.  

You can download a 2-page reading passage HERE

to teach your students about this outstanding person in US History.  This reading passage is appropriate for Grades 2-3 and homeschoolers.  It relates important information and facts in US history about Martin Luther King, Jr. 

 If you are looking for reader response pages and writing prompts to go with your reading about MLK, you can find more HERE

A great springboard for insightful discussions in your classroom.  After reading this quote by MLK, have your students write about what they might be doing to help other people.  Great lesson to teach, and a great lesson to learn early in life.  Living with this giving and caring essence surely will make our world better.

This famous quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. shows tenacity, fortitude and strength in doing what is right to improve yourself.  Another quote for class discussion; and you can easily use this as a writing prompt for MLK day.

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream.  Most of us have dreams.  What is your dream? Thinking of others and practicing the golden rule.  Great day to teach children that considering friends and classmates  is an admirable way to live.  What do you most admire about Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here are some more writing response pages you might wish to use when celebrating MLK's birthday.

You can find them at MrsQuimbyReads.com .... go to the free resource page.  While you are there, see some other free resources... 

and be sure to look at the 100th Day of School cool 
t-shirt for teachers!  When is your 100th day?

5 Awesome Read Alouds for Winter

1.  When It Starts to Snow

by Phillis Gershater

This book is charming and you will love reading it aloud... all the animals ask 

"What if it starts to snow? What will I do?  Where will I go?"

Rhyme, verse and the repetitive questions make this book a perfect one for beginning literacy students.  Your children will listen in as you read this inquisitive text.

Put this one on your list. One to purchase for your library.  It's my new favorite.  The amazing illustrations by Martin Matje complement the text beautifully!

2.  Katy and the Big Snow

     by Virginia Lee Burton

Katy and the Big Snow teaches such a valuable lesson about working hard to achieve a goal.  Katy is a very brave and untiring tractor.  Her work ethic is amazing.  She pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter.  Katy's hard work makes it possible for all the townspeople to do their jobs.  Katy shows her true self when a blizzard blankets the city and everyone is relying on Katy to help dig them out.  This book can lead to many valuable discussions about commitment, work, and helping.

3.   Thomas' Snowsuit

      by Robert Munsch

Munsch's books are SO fun to read.  If you need some laughter and a bit of surprise.  Read this book!  That's all I will say about this one!  Read it!

4.  Red Sled

            by Lita Judge

This book has very few words but that makes the looking and listening that much closer. As you read this one... pause and think...ask what might happen next?  what do you think? 

small children and early readers are quite capable to make inferences and evaluations when you read aloud a good book as this one.  All the woodland creature take a child's sled for a joy ride at night.  The ride is beautifully illustrated in watercolors.  See the humorous expressions on the characters.  When finished, slowly and gently close the book on your lap and listen to the children's conversations.  They will be very informative of their understanding of this wonderful book. 

5.  Stella: Queen of the Snow 

by Marie Louise Gay

Stella has a younger brother, Sam.  Sam has never seen snow before. Sam is mesmerized by his first snowstorm and he has lots of great questions about the snow.  Read this book to find out Stella's amazing and very entertaining answers about the snow.  Find out who eats snowflakes for breakfast.   This read aloud could easily be a springboard about asking questions to find answers to ask more questions.  I love this book!

Sight Word Practice - Christmas Coloring Pages for December

Are your students excited about Christmas?  Are you excited, too?  Here are 3 easy pages for you to use in your classroom or home for those moments when you just need to catch up... Children color the Christmas pages by color code.  They will read the sight words over and over and then color a red and green picture for Christmas.  Each page has a sentence at the bottom to use these sight words in context.  Children can trace over the letters and then circle the sight words.  Coloring pages are Christmas Elf, Christmas Stocking and Christmas Tree.

All you do is download and print.  Materials needed red and green crayons and a beginning reader. 
                     You can get your pages HERE